Capture combination system

ABSTRACT

A capture combination system for use in an electronic organ provides rapid reprogramming of the entire combination memory while permitting manual selection of desired stop combinations at any time. Desired stop combinations are selected for each piston and set into the working memory of the system. These combinations, upon command, are transferred from the working memory to a storage or external memory. A full combination of stop settings may be stored on the external memory by transfer from the internal memory, and a number of such external memories corresponding to a number of different full combinations of stop settings thus may be prepared and, subsequently, selectively presented to the system as desired. The combination settings from the external memory are transferred upon command into the internal working memory for establishing the desired combination of stop settings therein. Transfer into or out of the external memory requires but a few seconds. Whenever desired, the working memory may be altered to modify one or more stop combinations, whether set manually, or entered therein from the external memory and, in the latter case, while retaining the combinations recorded in the external memory.

United States Patent Molnar 1 Oct. 24, 1972 [54] CAPTURE COMBINATIONSYSTEM [72] inventor: Lasrlo A. Molnar, Tustin, Calif.

[73] Assignee: North American Rockwell Corporation, Anaheim, Calif.

[22] Filed: Oct. 9, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 79,612

[52] US. Cl ..84/345, 84/370 [51] Int. Cl ..G 10h 3/10 [58] Field ofSearch ..84/345, 337, 370, 341, 343, 84/344 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 3,213,179 10/1965 Clauson ..84/345 X 3,449,995 6/ 1969Sepp ..84/345 3,498,168 3/1970 Cunningham ..84/345 3,548,064 12/ 1970Oncley ..84/345 UX Primary ExaminerRichard B. Wilkinson AssistantExaminerlohn F. Gonzales Attorney-L. Lee Humphries and H. Fredrickl-lamann [57] ABSTRACT A capture combination system for use in anelectronic organ provides rapid reprogramming of the entire combinationmemory while permitting manual selection of desired stop combinations atany time. Desired stop combinations are selected for each piston and setinto the working memory of the system. These combinations, upon command,are transferred from the working memory to a storage or external memory.A full combination of stop settings may be stored on the external memoryby transfer from the internal memory, and a number of such externalmemories corresponding to a number of different full combinations ofstop settings thus may be prepared and, subsequently, selectivelypresented to the system as desired. The combination settings from theexternal memory are transferred upon command into the internal workingmemory for establishing the desired combination of stop settingstherein. Transfer into or out of the external memory requires but a fewseconds. Whenever desired, the working memory may be altered to modifyone or more stop combinations, whether set manually, or entered thereinfrom the external memory and, in the latter case, while retaining thecombinations recorded in the external memory.

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1. In a capture combination system having a plurality of pistons and aplurality of stops, said pistons being arranged in a plurality of groupsof a number of pistons each, each group of pistons being associated witha corresponding group of stops, and each piston, when actuated, beingoperable to establish a preselected combination of stops of theasSociated group of stops, the improvement comprising: first input meansreceiving an input in response to each piston actuation, second inputmeans receiving an input in response to each stop selection, cyclicaddressing means for repetitively addressing said first input means intime sequence to recognize and identify an actuated piston and the groupthereof, and for addressing said second input means in time sequence toderive stop bit data identifying the stop selections of pre-selectedcombinations, in accordance with said groups of stops, an operatingmemory having a plurality of bit storage positions assigned inaccordance with each piston and its associated group of stops forstoring the stop bit data identifying the pre-selected stops combinationfor each piston of said group of pistons, said cyclic addressing meansaddressing said second input means in response to identification of anactuated piston in accordance with addressing of said first input meansfor deriving from said second input means the stop bit data identifyingthe pre-selected stops combination for the groups of stops associatedwith the actuated piston, and gating means enabled in accordance withthe identification of an actuated piston to enter into the assigned bitpositions of said operating memory, the stop bit data derived from saidsecond input means for the group of stops associated with theidentified, actuated piston.
 2. The improvement in capture combinationsystem as recited in claim 1 wherein: said second input means isresponsive to the stops input selections to define at least two inputdata bit groups corresponding to the stops input selections for eachgroup of stops associated with said pistons, and said gating means isenabled in accordance with the identification of an actuated piston torespond to said at least two data bit groups, in succession, in thecorresponding successive cycles of said cyclic addressing means inaddressing said second input means, to enter the stop bit data of eachsaid data bit group into the assigned bit positions of said operatingmemory during an interval in the corresponding successive cycles of saidcyclic addressing means, wherein the interval in each said successivecycle is selected in accordance with the availability of therespectively associated bit storage locations of said operating memoryfor entry and storage therein of the data bit group.
 3. The improvementin a capture combination system as recited by claim 2 wherein: saidgroups of pistons include a plurality of groups of divisional pistons,each of said divisional piston groups having associated therewith acorresponding group of stops and each said divisional piston beingoperable to establish a pre-selected combination of the stops of thatassociated group, and at least one group of said pistons includesgeneral pistons for which the associated group of stops comprises thetotality of stops in the system, each general piston of said group ofgeneral pistons being operable to establish a pre-selected combinationof the totality of stops of the system.
 4. The improvement in a capturecombination system as recited in claim 3 wherein: said second inputmeans defines two input data bit groups for each group of divisionalstops, and a number of data bit groups for said general stopscorresponding to the total of data bit groups for the total of thedivisional stop groups, said cyclic addressing means addresses saidsecond means in a number of successive cycles respectively correspondingto the total of said data bit groups in response to each pistonactuation, and said gating means is enabled for transfer of stop bitdata during the cycles of said addressing means in which the data bitgroups associated with an actuated, identified piston are addressed. 5.The improvement in a capture combination system as recited in claim 1wherein there is further provided: enabling means for normally enablingsaid first input meanS for identification of an actuated piston inresponse to addressing of said first input means, and means forrecognizing actuation of a piston for enabling identification ofselected stops in response to addressing of said second input means. 6.The improvement in a capture combination system as recited in claim 1,wherein: said cyclic addressing means addresses said first input meansto identify the group of a piston actuated to establish stopcombinations in accordance with the pre-selected stop combinations ofthe associated group of stops stored in said operating memory, saidgating means is enabled in accordance with the identification of saidpiston actuated to establish stop combinations to readout from saidoperating memory the stop bit data for each said group of stopsassociated with the identified, actuated piston, and there is furtherprovided: stop actuators for selectively setting the stops of thesystems in accordance with the stop selections, and decoding meansaddressed by said cyclic addressing means for enabling energization ofsaid stop actuators in groups in accordance with each said group ofstops associated with the identified group of pistons and for energizingthe stop actuators of each said group in accordance with the stop bitdata readout from said operating memory and identifying the preselectedstop combinations of said group.
 7. The improvement in a capturecombination system as recited in claim 1 wherein there is furtherprovided: enabling means for enabling entry of said stop selections insaid groups thereof into said operating memory as associated with anactuated, identified piston in response to a set command generatedsimultaneously with actuation of said identified piston.
 8. Theimprovement in a capture combination as recited in claim 1 wherein thereis further provided: register means responsive to identification of anactuated piston to register an identification of the group of thatpiston and of the piston, said operating memory includes a plurality ofsections, and said gating means includes section selection meansresponsive to the piston group identification of said register means toselect the section of said operating memory corresponding to anidentified, actuated piston, and to the piston identification of saidregister means to define the portion of each section containing theinformation bit storage positions associated with said identified,actuated piston.
 9. The improvement in a capture combination system asrecited in claim 1 wherein there is further provided an external memoryfor storing the stop selections entered in said operating memory,further comprising: means operable in synchronism with the recirculationof said operating memory to define a periodic gating interval foraddressing the storage bit positions of said operating memoryindividually and in succession for successive cycles of recirculationthereof, control means for rendering said periodic gating interval meansoperable to effect transfer of data bits between said operating memoryand said external memory, buffer storage means for storing data bitsread from said operating memory for recording in said external memory,and for storing bits read from said external memory for entry into theassigned bit positions of said operating memory, and said gating meansbeing responsive to said periodic gating interval means when actuated bysaid transfer control means for a record operation, to transfer a databit during each said periodic gating interval, from said operatingmemory, and the plurality of data bits stored therein in succession foreach recirculation thereof, to said buffer storage means for recordingin said external memory, and, for a read and entry operation, totransfer data bits in succession as read from said external memory, tosaid buffer storage means for entry into said assigned bit positions ofsaid operating memory, in succession, and during said periodic Gatinginterval for each recirculation thereof.
 10. A capture combinationsystem as recited in claim 9 wherein there is further provided: furtherbuffer storage means operable to store a data bit read from saidexternal memory within the time duration of the recirculation of saidoperating memory for entry of that data bit into said operating memoryin the next successive recirculation cycle thereof.
 11. A capturecombination system as recited in claim 9 wherein there is furtherprovided: means for generating a strobe pulse in response to eachperiodic gating interval, means for recording each strobe pulse in saidexternal memory in timed relationship with the recording of each databit therein, strobe pulse buffer storage means for storing each strobepulse, in succession, as generated by said generating means in a recordoperation, and for storing each strobe pulse, in succession, as readfrom said external memory, and said gating means being responsive tosaid periodic gating interval means, when actuated by said transfercontrol means for a record operation, to store a strobe pulse in saidfirst strobe pulse buffer storage means for recording in said externalmemory, and, for a read and entry operation, to transfer each strobepulse read from said external memory to said strobe pulse buffer storagemeans.
 12. The improvement in a capture combination system as recited inclaim 11 wherein there is further provided: further strobe pulse bufferstorage means operable to store a further strobe pulse read from saidexternal memory within the time duration of the recirculation of saidoperating memory, and said further strobe pulse buffer storage meansbeing enabled by said strobe pulse buffer storage means upon receiptthereby of a strobe pulse, to receive said further strobe pulse, andupon receipt of said further strobe pulse, being operable to disablesaid data bit buffer storage means and to enable said further data bitbuffer storage means for receipt thereby of a further data bit, as readfrom said external memory within the time duration of the recirculationof said operating memory.
 13. The improvement in a capture combinationsystem as recited in claim 1 wherein: said operating memory comprises aplurality of groups of plural recirculating shift registers, said groupsof pistons include a plurality of groups of divisional pistons, eachdivisional piston group being associated with a different group of saidstops, and at least one group of general pistons, each general pistongroup being associated with a group of stops comprising the totality ofstops in the system, and said gating means includes shift registerselection means responsive to the identification of the group of anactuated piston to select the corresponding group of plural shiftregisters, and to the identification of the actuated piston of thatgroup to select the shift register of the group having the assigned bitpositions corresponding to the group of stops associated with theactuated piston.
 14. The improvement in a capture combination system asrecited in claim 13 wherein: said gating means is responsive to theidentification of an actuated divisional piston to select the portion ofthe selected shift register having the assigned bit positionscorresponding to the group of stops associated with the actuateddivisional piston.
 15. The improvement in a capture combination systemas recited in claim 14 wherein: each shift register of the group thereofselected for general pistons has a number of bit positions correspondingto the totality of stops of the system.
 16. The improvement in a capturecombination system as recited in claim 15 wherein: each shift registerof the group thereof selected for divisional pistons has a number of bitpositions corresponding to the totality of stops of the system orderedin a plurality of time division groups in accordance with therecirculation of said shift registers, and SAID addressing means enablessaid gating means in accordance with the identification of an actuateddivisional piston and the corresponding time division group in relationto the recirculation time of said shift register for accessing the bitstorage positions assigned to the stops of the group associated with theactuated divisional piston.
 17. The improvement in a capture combinationsystem as recited in claim 16, wherein: said cyclic addressing meansaddresses said first input means to identify the group of a pistonactuated to establish stop combinations in accordance with data bitsstored in said operating memory and identifying the pre-selected stopcombinations of the associated group of stops, said gating means isenabled in accordance with the identification of said piston actuated toestablish stop combinations, to read out from said operating memory thestop bit data for each said group of stops associated with theidentified, actuated piston, and there is further provided: stopactuators for selectively setting the stops of the system in accordancewith the stop selections, and decoding means addressed by said cyclicaddressing means for enabling energization of said stop actuators ingroups in accordance with each said group of stops associated with theidentified group of pistons and for energizing the stop actuators ofeach said group in accordance with the stop bit data readout from saidoperating memory and identifying the pre-selected stop combinations ofsaid group.
 18. The improvement in a capture combination system asrecited in claim 1 wherein there is further provided: enabling means forenabling entry of said stop selections in said groups thereof into saidoperating memory as associated with an actuated, identified piston inresponse to a set command generated simultaneously with actuation ofsaid identified piston.
 19. A capture combination system for an organhaving a plurality of pistons arranged in groups of divisional pistonsand a plurality of stops arranged in groups corresponding to saiddivisional piston groups, each divisional piston being operable toestablish a pre-selected combination of stops of the group associatedwith that piston, comprising: first input means having a plurality ofinput terminals corresponding to said plurality of pistons and arrangedfor input addressing in accordance with said groups of pistons, secondinput means having a plurality of input terminals corresponding to saidplurality of stops and arranged for input addressing in accordance withsaid groups of stops, cyclic addressing means for repetitivelyaddressing said first input means in time sequence to recognize andidentify an actuated piston and the group thereof, and for addressingsaid second input means in time sequence to derive stop bit dataidentifying the stop selections of pre-selected combinations, inaccordance with said groups of stops, an operating memory having asection corresponding to each group of divisional pistons and eachsection having portions corresponding to the pistons of the group, andincluding in each portion a plurality of bit storage locations assignedto the stops of the group associated with the corresponding piston, saidcyclic addressing means addressing said second input means in responseto identification of an actuated piston in accordance with addressing ofsaid first input means for deriving from second input means the stop bitdata identifying the pre-selected stops combination for the group ofstops associated with the actuated piston, and gating means enabled inaccordance with the identification of an actuated piston to enter intothe assigned bit positions of said operating memory, the stop bit dataderived from said second input means for the group of stops associatedwith the identified, actuated piston.
 20. The improvement in a capturecombination system as recited in claim 19 wherein: said second inputmeans is responsive to the stopS input selections to define at least twoinput data bit groups corresponding to the stops input selections foreach group of stops associated with said pistons, and said gating meansis enabled in accordance with the identification of an actuated pistonin respond to said at least two data bit groups, in succession, in thecorresponding successive cycles of said cyclic addressing means inaddressing said second input means, to enter the stop bit data of eachsaid data bit group into the assigned bit positions of said operatingmemory during an interval in the corresponding successive cycles of saidcyclic addressing means, wherein the interval in each said successivecycle is selected in accordance with the availability of therespectively associated bit storage locations of said operating memoryfor entry and storage therein of the data bit group.
 21. A capturecombination system as recited in claim 19 wherein the system furtherincludes at least one group of general pistons associated with the groupof stops comprising the totality of stops of the system, wherein: saidoperating memory includes a further section corresponding to said groupof general pistons and a portion of that further section correspondingto each general piston, said portion including storage bit positionscorresponding to the totality of the stops of the system, and saidgating means is enabled in accordance with identification of an actuatedgeneral piston to enter the stop bit data for the totality of stops intothe assigned stop bit storage positions of the portion correspondingthereto.
 22. A capture combination system as recited in claim 21wherein: said operating memory comprises a first set of a pluralrecirculating shift registers for said divisional pistons and a secondset of plural recirculating shift registers for said general pistons,said memory section for said general piston group comprising theentirety of said second set of shift registers, and for said divisionalpiston groups comprising respectively corresponding locations in theplural shift registers of said first set, and said plural shiftregisters of each set corresponding to the pistons of the groups ofdivisional and general pistons, respectively, to define said portions ofeach section of the memory.
 23. A capture combination system as recitedin claim 22 wherein: said shift registers comprise recirculating shiftregisters, controlled to recirculate in synchronism with one another,and said gating means is enabled in accordance with the recycling ofsaid shift registers to define each said portion and the associated bitstorage locations as time intervals of the recirculation cycles of theshift registers.
 24. A capture combination system as recited in claim 23wherein there is further provided: register means responsive to theidentification of a piston to select in accordance with the group ofthat piston the corresponding memory section in accordance with saidfirst and second sets of shift registers, and the corresponding memoryportion, and said gating means is further responsive to theidentification of a divisional piston group to select the time intervalof recirculation for defining the corresponding memory portion.
 25. Theimprovement in a capture combination system as recited in claim 24wherein: said cyclic addressing means addresses said first input meansto identify the group of a piston actuated to establish stopcombinations in accordance with the pre-selected stop combinations ofthe associated group of stops stored in said operating memory, saidgating means is enabled in accordance with the identification of anactuated piston to establish stop combinations, to readout from saidoperating memory the stop bit data for each said group of stopsassociated with the identified, actuated piston, and there is furtherprovided: stop actuators for selectively setting the stops of the systemin accordance with the stop selections, and decodIng means addressed bysaid cyclic addressing means for enabling energization of said stopactuators in groups in accordance with each said group of stopsassociated with the identified group of pistons and for energizing thestop actuators of each said group in accordance with the stop bit datareadout from said operating memory and identifying the pre-selected stopcombinations of said group.
 26. The improvement in a capture combinationsystem as recited in claim 25 wherein there is further provided:enabling means for enabling entry of said stop selections in said groupsthereof into said operating memory as associated with an actuated,identified piston in response to a set command generated simultaneouslywith actuation of said identified piston.
 27. A capture combinationsystem as recited in claim 23 wherein there is further provided: anexternal memory for storing the stop selections entered in saidoperating memory, means operable in synchronism with the recirculationof said sets of shift registers to define a periodic gating interval foraddressing said sets in parallel and, within each set, addressing thebit positions of said shift registers individually and in succession forsuccessive cycles of recirculation thereof, for the plurality of shiftregisters in sequence, control means for rendering said periodic gatinginterval means operable to effect transfer, in parallel, of data bitsbetween said sets of shift registers and said external memory, bufferstorage means for storing data bits read from said sets of shiftregisters for recording in parallel in said external memory, and forstoring bits read in parallel from said external memory for entry, inparallel, into the assigned bit positions of the respectivelycorresponding sets of shift registers, said gating means beingresponsive to said periodic gating interval means when actuated by saidtransfer control means for a record operation, in parallel for said setsof shift registers and sequentially for the plural shift registers ofeach set, to transfer a data bit during each said periodic gatinginterval, from said shift registers for the plurality of data bitsstored therein, in succession and for each recirculation thereof, tosaid buffer storage means for recording in said external memory, and,for a read and entry operation, to transfer data bits in succession asread from said external memory, to said buffer storage means for entryinto said assigned bit positions of said shift registers in succession,and during said periodic gating interval for each recirculation thereof.28. A capture combination system as recited in claim 27 wherein there isfurther provided: further buffer storage means operable to store a databit read from said external memory within the time duration of therecirculation of said shift registers, for entry of that data bit intosaid operating memory in the next successive recirculation cyclethereof.
 29. A capture combination system as recited in claim 27 whereinthere is further provided: means for generating a strobe pulse inresponse to each periodic gating interval, means for recording eachstrobe pulse in said external memory in timed relationship with therecording of each data bit therein, strobe pulse buffer storage meansfor storing each strobe pulse, in succession, as generated by saidgenerating means in a record operation, and for storing each strobepulse, in succession, as read from said external memory, and said gatingmeans being responsive to said periodic gating interval means, whenactuated by said transfer control means for a record operation, to storea strobe pulse in said first strobe pulse buffer storage means forrecording in said external memory, and, for a read and entry operation,to transfer each strobe pulse read from said external memory to saidstrobe pulse buffer storage means.
 30. The improvement in a capturecombination system as recited in claim 29 wherein there is furtheRprovided: further strobe pulse buffer storage means operable to store afurther strobe pulse read from said external memory within the timeduration of the recirculation of said operating memory, and said furtherstrobe pulse buffer storage means being enabled by said strobe pulsebuffer storage means upon receipt thereby of a strobe pulse, to receivesaid further strobe pulse, and upon receipt of said further strobepulse, being operable to disable said data bit buffer storage means andto enable said further bit buffer storage means for receipt thereby of afurther data bit, as read from said external memory within the timeduration of the recirculation of said operating memory.